5 January 2011

By now I hope you have each embraced 2011 like a warm blanket and look forward to all the possibilities a new year brings. I am not one to make New Years resolutions but when our newest member here at the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club suggested we start our year off with a New Food the course was set.

In our well-rounded worlds it was at first hard to believe that we had not tried pretty much every ingredient available to us in our 5 corners of the world. What ingredients have I never tried before was my first reaction? But as I peeled back the layers it came to me that I have never tried quinoa...yes that's true... so a search was made on the Cooking Light web site for the perfect dish to share with our ladies. Since my initial reaction I have come across so many foods I have not tried making before like panna cotta, sauerkraut, oysters, kale soup...the list goes on. We tend to make resolutions like keeping the house cleaner, spending less, or biking to work. This year why not throw your foodie fantasies into the mix? Do you want to learn to handcraft pasta or make the perfect pie crust? Thank you Mary Ann for opening our minds to all the possibilities.

As we continue into our second year we are so glad you have decided to join us once again for our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. This is a monthly event where 5 ladies in two neighbouring countries get together to create a delicious meal with a theme in mind. We are now in our second year and continue to share a love for Cooking Light magazine which has an emphasis on healthy eating and living. This is a team effort where we combine what Cooking Light readers like best...good food with great company!!! Every month millions of readers turn to Cooking Light for recipes, advice on nutrition and fitness.

I am a little late on the bandwagon but I was happy to introduce myself to this amazing "new" food. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), is a grain that comes from the Andes Mountains of South America. Quinoa's origins are truly ancient. It was one of the three staple foods, along with corn and potatoes, of the Inca civilization. Quinoa was known then, and still is known, with respect, as the mother grain. It is a recently rediscovered ancient "grain" once considered "the gold of the Incas."

Next Sandi of The Whistlestop Cafe wowed us with a dish that I have also been wanting to try from the pages of Cooking Light... Rösti Casserole with Baked Eggs... I hope she thoroughly enjoyed her first experience with Rösti. I know I would have loved this dish!!!

As previously mentioned by new food is Quinoa. I brought Quinoa with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes, and Spinachfrom the pages of Cooking Light.The tiny, beige-colored seeds have a nice crunch. The seeds have a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavour when cooked. It's cooked and eaten like rice and other grains.Quinoa is light, tasty, and easy to digest. It is not sticky or heavy like most other grains, and it has a delicious flavour all its own. Be sure to give it a good rinse before cooking, or it may have a bitter taste. I loved the texture, the flavour...pretty much everything about this dish. I paired it with a "not so new to me" salmon steak.

What foods have you never tried before that you could introduce in 2011? Perhaps there is a preparation that you have never tried? If you would like to share this month join in below with a "new to you food" you have tried. Join in with a healthy dish from the pages of Cooking Light, from your archives or any another dish that would fit the "light" theme. Next month we will be celebrating Heart and Stroke Month with Red Foods so get your thinking caps on.

24 comments:

It does become harder and harder to find a "new food" -- tried farro myself a couple weeks ago, and have you ever heard of kumato? It sure is fun experimenting. I love the notion of your virtual supper club. A great way to share new stuff!

I'll have to give some thought as to what foods I haven't tried. I can tell you something that I haven't tried in many, many years--Cooking Light Magazine. I'd say at least 20 years. Why? I found their recipes rather boring. However, in spending time with you and your offerings this past year, I picked up the November issue. I was culinarily blown away! I've done a number of the recipes and all have been delicious. Thank you for bringing me back to (a much different) Cooking Light!

Eating healthier in 2011 is so much easier when I have recipes like this to choose from. I've avoided Cooking Light at the news stand as well because I assumed the recipes were uninspired. I'm going to pick a copy up today to check it out.

I brought quinoa stuffed squash into work a couple weeks ago and impressed one of my coworkers. Although I think I was equally impressed when she asked if that was quinoa and dried cherries in my squash. I'll have to think of a "new to me food" I can submit.....

I love quinoa, but unfortunately I haven't used it as much as I'd like. One of my cooking resolutions for this year is to incorporate more "international" ingredients into my Mexican cooking. That's one tasty roundup.

What a great idea and this does look lovely. I will be using grains and pulses much more this year myself... and I have a big back of Quinoa in my pantry as we speak. This recipe looks great. The best salad of this nature I have ever tasted was brought by a local blogger to my taste tripping party last June. It is on that post, and I have yet to make it - but will. Then I will compare it to yours... That salad was absolutely delicious. He brought enough to feed TWO armies, but didn't leave any (boo-hoo!)... and I still have to make it.:)Valerie

Discover

can we help you search...

Loading...

Relax

My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.